Anti-vaccination campaigners trying to overturn NSW name change order

ASHLEY HALL: The Australian Vaccination Network is trying to overturn an order to change its name.

It claims to be a lobby and support group that promotes health choices. But the New South Wales Fair Trading Department says that's misleading because it is in fact an anti-vaccination group.

Here's Eliza Harvey.

ELIZA HARVEY: New Zealand father, Ian Williams, has become the latest vocal campaigner in favour of vaccination.

He and his wife hadn't vaccinated their children but then their son got a cut on his foot and the situation became very serious.

IAN WILLIAMS: It took a, sort of, a stay of 24 hours in hospital for them to then say, diagnose it was tetanus because the spasms started getting worse and worse and it's a terrible thing. Your whole body arches, your arms go up in the air.

It looks like, when you go into it, there's a whole lot of pros and cons, and it's like a 50-50 argument. Actually, it's not. You know, almost 100 per cent of doctors are actually pro-vaccine.

ELIZA HARVEY: The Australian Vaccination Network sounds like it would agree with Mr Williams' views that vaccination is a life saver. But it doesn't.

In fact, it actively promotes the link between vaccination and autism, a theory that was debunked by the medical world 20 years ago.

So the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading has ordered it to change its name.

The AVN is resisting and the two parties are in court this afternoon.

The New South Wales Opposition health spokesman and paediatrician, Dr Andrew McDonald, says its name is a serious problem.

ANDREW MCDONALD: This is all about false advertising. The Australian Vaccination Network are a vehement anti vaccination group who are doing whatever they can to keep their name near the top of a Google search. They're number two on a Google search if you use the words "Australia" and "vaccination" and that's why they want to preserve their name to keep it there.

ELIZA HARVEY: The group is on the social media site, Twitter, describing itself as Australia's pro-health choice lobby and support group.

But journalist, Jane Hansen, says there's no support if you disagree with their views.

She's been heading up a recent campaign at Sydney's Sunday Telegraph, designed to raise vaccination rates.

JANE HANSEN: Anyone who criticises the AVN, and this is journalists, politicians or even parents that have had sick children who have gone public with their views on vaccination, very quickly find themselves on the end of some pretty vile attacks.

Now, you know, they pride themselves on this all natural approach but there's no peace, love and lentils if you criticise them. They come at you, criticising you of being on the roll of, payroll of big pharma.

ELIZA HARVEY: Dr Andrew McDonald has also felt their sting.

(To Andrew McDonald) Do you have any experience of that? Do you know of the AVN mobilising against groups that disagrees with it?

ANDREW MCDONALD: So we've had the police around our office and they've investigated threatening emails to this office.

ELIZA HARVEY: PM has contacted the founder of the AVN, Meryl Dorey, to respond to those allegations.

But Andrew McDonald says it's time for doctors to educate the community about the consequences of non vaccination.

ANDREW MCDONALD: The tragedy is that we are now seeing as much whooping cough as I did 30 years ago. We've just had a major epidemic of measles in Campbelltown. Unless we improve our immunisation rates, we are at risk of future epidemics.